Paris: After a racially motivated attack on the city’s Kurdish community on Friday, December 23, which left three people dead and numerous others injured, protests broke out throughout Paris. On Sunday, demonstrators escalated the rioting that had started shortly after the shooting by flipping cars and setting several on fire. To disperse the crowd, the police turned to using tear gas.
As protests got violent, at least one vehicle was destroyed, store windows were broken, and minor fires were started close to Republic Square, a common location for rallies.
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According to Laurent Nunez, the head of the Paris police, the protest had taken a rapid turn toward violence, albeit the cause was not yet known, according to Reuters.
Massive Protests
11 people have reportedly been detained by police over the violent protests that started on Friday.
Images from the demonstration scene showed that the demonstrators threw objects at the police, who fired tear gas in return. The protests have resulted in up to 30 police officers and 1 protester being hurt. Before the police dispersed the demonstrators, the unrest persisted for two hours.
On Saturday, hundreds of Kurdish protesters waved flags and listened to memorials for the deaths, joined by politicians including the mayor of Paris’ 10th district.
“We are not being protected at all. In 10 years, six Kurdish activists have been killed in the heart of Paris in broad daylight,” CDK-F spokeswoman Berivan Firat spoke with BFM TV at the protest.
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A threat for Kurds
In a bustling area of Paris’ 10th district, a gunman opened fire on a Kurdish cultural centre and a nearby cafe on Friday, shocking the neighbourhood as it prepared to mark the tenth anniversary of the unsolved murder of three activists. The suspect was quickly apprehended after three persons were slain.
A police official was quoted by AFP as stating that the suspect identified as a racist and told the police he detested foreigners. Because of “health reasons,” he was freed from detention.
Soon after the shootings on Friday, unrest erupted. Footage showed individuals breaking car windows and setting fires in the streets. Given that Kurds had assembled peacefully to pay respects to the three victims of the Paris shooting, it is unclear what precipitated the violent protests.
The suspect will be presented to an investigating magistrate when his health permits.
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